Car-door-locking mechanism



, CAMPBELL CAR DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILEDISEFT29| 192i.

1,41 7,494, Patented vmy 3o, 1922.

@tif/495565, five/i MH* CMM To all whom it may concern:

l,UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

ARGYLE CAMPBELL,.OF CHICAGO, `ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 ENTERPRISE RAILWAY- EQUIPMENT COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

CAR-DOOR-LOCKING MECHANISM.

Patented May 30, 1922. i

ppn-cation inea september 29, i921. serial No. 504,236..

Be it known that I, ARGYLE CAMPBELL, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have linvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Car-Door-Locking Mechanisms, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

. This invention relates to improvements in car door locking mechanisms. v Objects of the invention are to provide a relatively inexpensive, durable and efficient door locking mechanism, especially adapted for use on railway dump. cars.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of a dump car showing my improvements in connection therewith, unnecessary parts of the car being broken .away to avoid crowding on the sheet. And

Fig. 2 is an elevational view taken at right angles to the view in Fig. l and looking from the left toward the right 4of Fig. 1.

In said drawing, the car shown is of that type commonly known as a W-type of hopper car openings, two on'each side of the center sill of the car and with the bottom hopper sheet of each hopper sloping upwardly to the en d of the car and the doors pivoted along their upper edges beneath a small bridge or arch adjacent the longitudinal center of the car.` In such type of cars', each hopper is defined by an inner side hopper sheet (not shown) an outer side hopper sheet 10 and a bottom inclined hopper sheet 11. Each door o ening is adapted to be closed by a hopper oorV of suitable construction as indicated at 12, the same being pivoted along their upper edges to swing about an axis extending transverse of the car, as indicated conventionally at 13. When in closed position, the doors are at approximately right angles to the hopper bottom sheets 11, as clearly indicated in Figure 1. It is customary to have the two transversely alined sets of doors operated simultaneously and for this purpose a connecting cross-brace is secured to the doors near their free edges, such cross-brace, in the instance shown, consisting of a channel as indicated at 14.

In carrying out my invention, the locking mechanisms are duplicated on each side o wherein there are four discharge hopper the car for each transverse set of' doors.

Only one such device is shown in the drawing, 1t being understood that the others are similar. Each locking mechanism, as shown," comprises a suitable bracket A, rigidly secured to the outside hopper sheet 10, a latching element proper indicated at B; a cooperable casting C secured to the door, and a locking lever D.

vT he bracket is in the form of a castin having a journal bearing therein, indicated at 15 which extendshorizontally and in a plane perpendicular .to the pivotal axis of the corresponding set of swinging doors. At the bottom corner, the bracket A is laterally .extended outwardly as indicated at 16 and pivotally attached thereto on Va suitable bolt or rivet 17 is the lock lever D which preferably consists of a straight bar as best indicated in Fig. 1, the position of the lock lever l) being such that it may swing up without.l interfering with the journal bearin 15,.

The latching element B, prefera ly con'- sists of a section of rod of suitable strength. the same having a main horizontally extending shaft portion 18 rotatably mounted in the journal bearing 15. At its righthand end, as viewed in Fig. 1, the latching element Bis provided with a depending arm 19 extending at right angles to the main 85 I shaft portion 18, said arm 19 having a lateral outwardly extended fiange 20 on which. the lock lever D is adapted to rest and thereby prevent the latching element B from turning accidentally when the lockingmechanism is in operative position. At its other end the latching element B is formed with another right-angled extension 21 offset 90 with respect to the arm 19, as best yshown'in Fig. 2.

lAs will be apparent from an inspection of Figure 2, the arms 19 and 21 are so related that arm 19 is adapted to serve as' a counterbalance or counter-weight for arm 21, tendingto hold the latter in operative position.

The arm or extension 21 is `adapted to be 1,00

swung up behind the casting C which is rigidly secured by suitable flanges to the main part of the door 12 and the cross-bracel/i.' The 4casting C' is provided with a flange 22 extending perpendicular to the main plane of the door on the outer side thereof, said flange having a rounded depression 23 in its edge and a' cam edge 24 leading to and merginwith the depression 23.

he locking niecliani sm is shown in closed 110.

lease the doors, the lever is irstswungvupwardly in a counter clockwise direction,

' for extension 21 downwardly and hopper -thereby freeing the depending arm 19. The

latching element Bis then rotated in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, by striking the arm 19 with either a claw-bar or other suitable tool, thereby Swingin the arm isengaging it from behind the casting C. It will be understood that the operation of the locking mechanism in both closing and opening the doors is carried out on both sides of the' car. are swung to closed position and the latching element- B rotated in the reverse direction to that above described, it being apparent that the arm or extension 21 will gradually cam up along the edge 24 into vthe depression 23 and thereby hold the door in closed position. Suitable means are provided to prevent the latching element B from slld- 'ing in its bearing when in inoperative position, as for instance, `a lug 25 bearlng against-the lefthand end of the journal bear- Y ing 15 as viewed in Fig. 1.

' The arrangement which I have shown and described is exceedingly simple, vcan be manufactured and applied atvery small expense and affords a suitable locking arrangement for those railroads which desire to avoid the expense of morecomplicated door operating mechanisms.

I have herein shown and described what I noW consider the preferred manner of carrying out the invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes 'and modifications that come Within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

A I claim:

1. In a door locking mechanism for dump cars having a discharge hopper defined by 'a slopin bottom sheet and side-sheets and a oor hinged to swing about its upper edge, the combination withv a latching element pivotally supported from a side outer sheet to rotate about .an axis transverse to the pivotal axis of thedoor, said.

,extending laterally therefrom, said` element having also an operating section; of a shouldered element secured to the outside of the door adjacent itsedge nearest said side hopper sheet and behind which. shouldered element said arm is adapted to engage to lock the door in closed position when said latching element is rotated; and means for holding said latching element in operative .position 2. In a door locking mechanism for dump cars having a discharge hopper and a hopper door adapted to swing about its upper edge, the combination with a bracket secured to the hopper, said bracket having a journal adjacent edge of the door; a shouldered element secured to said door in alinement with `said latching element when the door is in closed position, said I shouldered element co- In closing the mechanism, the doors \Qperatingwith said arm of the latching ele- .ing at right angles thereto and angularly offset approximately 90o with respect to said first named arm.

- 3. In a door locking-mechanism for dump cars, having a discharge hopper .defined byY fixed hopper sheetsand a swinging door pivoted along its upper edge, the combination with a latching element pivotally mounted on one ofthe parts ofthe hopper, said latching element having a right-angled arm at one end thereof,projectingbeyond the ad.- jacent edge of said part; of a cooperating shouldered element secured to another part of the hopper, said right-angled arm of the latching element engaging vwith said shoulhered element When the door is in closed position, one of said parts of said hopper being movable, and the other fixed; and means for holding said latching element in operative position including, another armat the opposite end of said element extending at right angles thereto and angularly offset approximately o with respect to said first named arm;

4. In a door'locking mechanism for dump cars and the likehaving a discharge hopper defined by a sloping bottom sheet and side sheets and a hopper door hinged to swing about its upper edge, the combination with a bracket secured to one of' said hopper sheets, said bracket having a journal bearing therein extending horizontally and in a plane perpendicular to the pivotal axis of the door; of a latching element journaled in said bearing, said latching 'element having a right angled extension `at one end adaptedlto swing behind the outer side of the door when the latter is in closed position, said latching lelement being provided also with another rightangled extension at its opposite end; a cooperable shouldered element secured to the outer side of the door and with which said first mentioned right-angled extension is adapted to cooperate in locking the door; and a lock lever pivotally mounted on said bracket and adapted to. engage said second mentioned right-angled extension of the latching element to hold the latter in operative position.

5. In a door locking mechanism for dump cars having a discharge hopper defined b a sloping bottom sheet and side sheets an a hopper door hinged to swing about its upper edge, the combination with a bracket secured toa hopper side sheet adjacent the door opening, said bracket being provided with a horizontally extending journal bearing ina plane perpendicular to the pivotal axis of the door; of a casting secured to the door on the outer side thereof adjacent its edge alined With said hopper side sheet, said casting having a cam edge with a depression therein; a latching element rotatably mounted in said journal bearing of the bracket, said latching element having one end thereof extended beyond the door when the latter is in closed position, such extended end having an arm extending at right angles therefrom adapted to swing into engagement with said cam edge of the casting and into the depression thereof. the opposite end of said latching element having another arm extending at right angles therefrom, offset 90'vvith respect to the first-named arm; and a locking lever pivotally mounted on said bracket and adapted to engage with said second named arm of the latching element to hold the latter against accidental rotation when iu locked position.

6. In a door locking mechanism for dump cars having a discharge hopper and a swinging hopper door disposed approximately at right angles to the bottom sheet of the hopper when the door is in closed position, a Y

being arranged to engage behind the door when in closed position to lock it and the projection at the opposite end of said member extending in a'direction to counterbalance the first named projection and tending to hold the latter in operative position.

7. In a door locking mechanism for dump cars having a discharge hopper and a door for closing `the discharge opening thereof, a latch member rotatably mounted on said hopper, said latch member having projections at each end thereof extending approximately at right angles to the main part of said member, the right angled projection at one end being rotatable to a position behind the door to hold it in closed position, the right angled projection at the opposite end of said member serving as a counterweight and lever for effecting rotation of said member.

' 8. As an artic-le of manufacture, a door locking device comprising: a bracket adapted to be rigidly secured to another member, said bracket having` a journal bearing provided therein; a latch element rotatably mounted in said bearing and provided at each end thereof with an arm extending at right angles, the arms being angularly ofi'- set; and a lock member pivotally mounted on said bracket and adapted to engage with one of said arms to hold said element in its operative position.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 2nd day of September, 1921.

AR GYLE CAMPBELL.

Witnesses:

PAULINE M. MERRICK, ANN BAKER. 

